Public Invited to "Think Spring" Gardening Workshop

The public is invited to a free "Think Spring" gardening workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 3 at the Malone Community Center, 2032 "U" St. The workshop will provide instruction on starting a garden as well as how to build and install a rain barrel.

Amy Brt, Community Gardens Program Manager for Community CROPS in Lincoln, will lead the workshop session on "From Mowing to Growing: Starting a Garden at Home." Participants will learn creative techniques on how to grow food in their yard, including step-by-step instructions on starting a garden with little effort or experience.

Amanda Meder, Environmental Health Educator for the City of Lincoln, will demonstrate how to build and install an affordable rain barrel. Rain barrels are typically a 55-gallon barrel, modified to collect rainwater runoff from rooftop down spouts. The collected water can be used for lawn and gardens.

The first 50 homeowners in the Malone/Hawley area neighborhood who sign in at the start of the workshop will be given a free rain barrel courtesy of The Home Depot and the Hawley Area Association. NeighborWorks of Lincoln and EcoStores Nebraska are providing additional set-up materials for the rain barrel giveaway.

The "Think Spring" workshop is co-sponsored by the Watershed Management Division of the City Public Works and Utilities Department; the Hawley Area Association in the Malone Neighborhood; the Clyde Malone Community Center; NeighborWorks of Lincoln; Community CROPS; EcoStores Nebraska; The Home Depot, Inc.; Hawley Bed and Breakfast; and the Nebraska Sierra Club.